The teen movie A Cinderella Story came out in 2004 — and 17 years later fans love it just as much. The 2000s classic which stars Hilary Duff and Chad Michael Murray gave us romance, laughter, and a strong female lead.
Today, we're taking a look at some facts we didn't know (or have totally forgotten) about the movie, and if you love A Cinderella Story just as much as we do — then keep on scrolling to find out whose makeup took the longest, which scene took the longest to film, and much more!
10 Hilary Duff Was 15 Years Old While Chad Michael Murray Was 22
One thing that many may not know about A Cinderella Story is the fact that when the movie was shot Hilary Duff was actually only 15 years old, while her co-star Chad Michael Murray was 22. Of course, anyone who has seen the movie could easily assume the both of them are teens — and there's no doubt that the chemistry between them was perfect!
9 Rupert Grint Was Allegedly Offered To Play Austin Ames
While everyone can agree that Chad Micahel Murray was perfect for the role of Austin Ames — the truth is that another famous star was supposed to play him. Yes, Harry Potter actor Rupert Grint was originally planned for the role, however, because he had contractual obligations to film Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban he had to turn down A Cinderella Story.
8 Jennifer Coolidge's Makeup Took The Longest
No one could forget Jennifer Coolidge's iconic portrayal of Fiona in the movie, but one thing that fans later got to find out is that the actress actually had to come in much earlier than the rest of the cast mainly because her Fiona makeup took forever to finish! Yes, Fiona wore a lot of makeup and Jennifer had to wake up extra early!
7 15-Year-Old Hilary Was Learning To Drive While Filming
As previously mentioned, at the time when Hilary Duff was portraying Samantha Montgomery she was actually also a teenager in real life, and while filming the movie she was learning how to drive.
Yes, Hilary was 15 years old and she practiced driving between set locations together with her dialect coach training Troy Rowland.
6 Chad Michael Murray And Julie Gonzalo Were Co-Stars In Freaky Friday As Well
Another fun fact that many may not have noticed is that A Cinderella Story stars Chad Michael Murray and Julie Gonzalo who played Austin Ames and Shelby Cummings were also co-stars in another classic teen flick from the early 2000s. Prior to being co-stars in A Cinderella Story, the two shared the screen in the movie Freaky Friday in 2003. In it, Chad Michael Murray played Jake while Julie Gonzalo played Stacey Hinkhouse.
5 At The Time, The Movie Competed With 'The Prince & Me', 'Ella Enchanted', and 'The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement'
It certainly seems as if the year 2004 was very big for fairytale and princess-themed movies — as quite a few came out. If we sort them out chronologically The Prince & Me came out on April 2, A Cinderella Story came out on July 16, The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement came out on August 11, and Ella Enchanted came out on December 17.
4 The Romantic Rain Scene Had To Be Reshot Many Times
Everyone surely remembers the iconic rain scene which certainly made the movie perfect — but one thing that most probably wouldn't think is that filing the scene took forever.
In fact, it was one of the most difficult scenes to film because the rain "had to hit a certain spot on Michael Murray's face." Of course, manipulating water isn't that easy but eventually, they got that perfect shot!
3 Hilary Duff Admitted She Had A Crush On Her Co-Star While Filming
Considering that Hilary Duff was a 15-year-old teenager at the time it definitely isn't surprising that she was crushing on her 22-year-old co-star who was at the time one of Hollywood's biggest heartthrobs. Here's what Hilary, later on, revealed for Cosmopolitan:
"I definitely had a crush on him. We had a few kissing scenes in the movie and I remember feeling pretty nervous about that, but then we became friends and I wasn't so nervous anymore."
2 Hilary And Chad Both Won Awards For Their Performances
A Cinderella Story definitely became one of the most famous teen movies from the 2000s, and both of the lead stars definitely gave memorable performances. At the 2004 Teen Choice Awards, Chad Michael Murray won in the category Choice Movie: Breakout Actor, and at the 2004 Kids Choice Awards Hilary Duff won in the category Favorite Movie Actress.
1 And Lastly, The Movie Received Negative Reviews From Critics But Was A Box Office Success
And finally, wrapping the list up is the fact that A Cinderella Story was a huge box office success in spite of the fact that it received mostly negative feedback from critics. A Cinderella Story had a budget of $19 million and it grossed over $70 million. There are certainly a few memorable teen classics from that decade and there is no doubt that this one belongs to them!
